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It was part of the River Otter Beaver Trial was launched in 2015 and is a five year study into the impacts of what is believed to be the first wild breeding population of beavers to live in England since the 17th century.

Mr Hussey added: “The autopsy revealed that the beaver was an individual that we had caught and tagged when she was a youngster near Ottery St Mary in 2015.

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"She was in good health and weighed just over 21kg. Beavers in the wild can expect to live to around 12-14 years of age, so this individual was still young.

"However, her health and good condition is a positive sign for the wider population of East Devon beavers.”

The beaver population on the River Otter is estimated to be around 25-30 animals.

Beavers living in the River Otter

They have proved popular with visitors and local people alike, with one family group near the village of Otterton drawing hundreds of people trying to see them over the past two summers.

Beavers were native to Britain until the 17th century, when they were hunted to extinction for their fur and scent glands which were used for medicinal purposes.

They remained the subject of rumour and folklore until the footage captured by amateur wildlife cameraman Tom Buckley in February 2014 confirmed that breeding beavers did actually exist in the wild in Britain.